MANHATTAN, NEW YORK

508 GASTRO RAISES NEW YORK CITY’S BEER PROFILE

There’ve finally been some steps taken to make Manhattan not only the cultural capitol of the world, but perhaps someday, the hottest brewing municipality on the planet. Granite City has dragged behind the rest of America’s incredible Craft Beer Renaissance due to ridiculous political animosity, nonsensical licensing regulations and the sheer amount of money needed to establish any restaurant or brewery on or off-Broadway. However, the landscape’s slowly changing.

Portland, San Diego, Denver, Philadelphia and many other lesser cities have more brewpubs than the largest Mecca on the universe so it stands to reason that taking a chance on going for broke would be ill-advised for now. Yet just a few blocks from lower Broadway, a well-educated entrepreneurial South American native that settled in the greatest city on earth decided against all odds to brew a few new recipes for the awaiting huddled masses.

Gaining immediate respect as both an exquisite artisanal restaurant and worthy small-batch brewery, 508 GASTROBREWERY is the brainchild of Brazilian-born Anderson Sant’anna De Lima and his Pittsburgh-raised wife, Jennifer Sant’anna Hill. Located at 508 Greenwich Street one block from the Holland Tunnel (and visited on a Saturday night in February), this Mediterannean-American hotspotopened in ’08 and by June ’11, received its license to brew on-premises. And now the usually tranquil Tribeca-bound neighborhood it services is a destination point for serious beer aficionados as well as sophisticated chowhounds.

A cozy downtown retreat, 508 GastroBrewery now joins upscale Italian-run midtown rooftop phenomenon, La Birreria, and spacious Chelsea Brewery (at West Side Highway’s Pier 23) as the only NYC brewpubs. (Heartland Brewery’s five fine restaurants strictly count as ‘beer pubs’ since brewing is done off-premises in Brooklyn.)

“We’re going to try to open a real full-scale brewery sometime,” Anderson explains as I dip into 508 Cream Ale, a sessionable saison-like hybrid contrasting a peculiarly engaging lemon-seeded orange rot tartness against honey-sugared caramel malts. “We’re not upscale. We just look good. There’s no white tablecloths.”

The San Paulo-bred gourmandizer graduated from Parsons School of Design after coming to New York in ’95. He worked for an ad agency, but became unhappy with corporate life. When he met Jennifer, the soon-to-be-married couple decided to open a restaurant in the Caribbean. Their affluent Virgin Gorda eatery was a success, but very soon into their one-year journey they yearned for the island of Manhattan.

In ’08, while chatting with friends at the restaurant, the subject of brewing came up. Jennifer heard Anderson say how much he’d love to become a brewer, so that very next month, she brought him a brew kit for Christmas.

“I remember making an Amber Ale,” Anderson recalls while I delve inside Citra Common, a crisply well-balanced ale with lightly spiced lemony orange bitterness usurping creamy crystal malts to its crackling citric-hopped finish.

He continues, “When I was younger, I drank German hefeweizens by Franziskaner and Ayinger. But my introduction to America’s craft beer movement came in ’97 when I discovered the (now-defunct) Tap Room Brewpub. It was expensive during college so I’d only go once a month. But it didn’t get the reputation it deserved.”

Though Anderson’s clearly an experienced brewer, he plans to attend Chicago’s famed Seibel Institute for a few concise courses that’ll broaden his scope.

“Education never ends,” he contends as I toss down Neves Winter Ale, a honey-spiced medium body with ancillary lemon custard, fennel and lavender notes. “I want a better understanding of nerdy stuff. I’ll spend a few weeks there and come back with an expanded level of knowledge.”

For the true beer-food connoisseur, 508 Gastro does pairings Sunday and Monday for two hours (5:30 PM until 7:30 PM) at $39. It includes three dishes and bottomless beer – so drink as much as you can.

As for the elegantly curtained interior design, a 12-seat right side bar with hanging pendant lights opposes six left dining booths. To the rear is a chef’s table snuggled next to two more 4-seat tables. Going through the busy sky-lightedkitchen down narrow stairs to the basement, there’s a private 12-seat dining room posing as a catacomb-like wine cellar. The small brew kettle setup (seven 55-gallon fermenters) recently hosted several beers not yet available at the upstairs taps or bottles.

“There’s a sour ale and gueuze readying alongside a Saison, Belgian Strong Ale, Smoked Rye IPA and Golden Strong Ale. We have to utilize space well. I also have a storage space two blocks away for bottles,” he assures me as I try the approachable tropical-fruited India Pale Ale, where sugary pineapple, mango, tangerine and melon counter midlevel piney grapefruit-peeled bittering.

Anderson admits, “Sometimes I run out of certain beer. But I never have an empty fermenter. People have really been coming for the beer. They also give feedback and know more about beer these days. There was a Northern California hop farmer in last week who gave me ten pounds of fresh hops.”

Arguably the best selling flagship beer of the week is the soft-toned Brazil Nut Brown, a moderately embittered invigoration placing peanut-shelled Brazil nut, toasted walnut and pine nut against caramelized hazelnut sweetness. And the response is likewise positive for mild Seltzer-fizzed Hefeweizen, where tranquil orange peel zest lingers above the expectant banana-clove conflux and creamy wheat-buttered malting.

MGMT’s hooky Farfisa anthem “Kids” plays in the background as I taste the marvelous Octopus with Garbanzos, a grilled seafood dish utilizing olive-oiled garbanzo beans, dried apricots, smoked paprika and pancetta. Next, the white-wined Steamed Mussels retained tender freshness.

My wife shared the pita-breaded Greek Mezze Platter, a nifty appetizer culling roasted garlic, hummus, babaganoush, olives and yogurt-like tzatziki. For dinner, she ordered the simply irresistible asiago-cheesed, balsamic-vinegared Artichoke Flatbread Pizza. My son, Christopher, enjoyed the Lobster Rock Shrimp, which gathered oyster mushrooms, pappardelle and tomato cream lobster sauce. Several homemade pastas went untried but looked fabulous, such as Truffled Mushrooms, Goat Ragu and Three Cheese & Chard Ravioli.

“The food recipes are my wife’s. She has complete freedom with her food and I have complete freedom with my beers,” Anderson points out as I dig into the fine cuisine.

At this point, he breaks out a bottled version of the truly amazing and rather unconventional Montezuma Imperial Stout, the perfect mocha-related dessert treat. Its robustly bitter coffee prominence and hop-charred black peppering (two stylistically offbeat leading flavors) overlay Mexican chocolate sweetness, creamy vanilla hazelnut swirls and espresso-milked cappuccino reminders.

The future’s bright for 508 Gastro as they’ve found the right combination of memorable edibles and impressive libations.

Anderson concludes, “I went on Beer Sessions Radio with Jimmy Carbone (owner of below-ground East Village joint, Jimmy’s No. 43) to talk about beer with Kelso Brewery’s Kelly Taylor (who concurrently crafts Heartland’s ever-increasing lineup). It’s pretty cool how Kelly handled the business end. With each Heartland location, they proved you could make craft beer in the city and still make money.”

www.508nyc.com

By John Fortunato

PATRICK GREENE: The warmer temperature allows a lot of the illusional flavors to come out that may not be distinct if you drink it cold. Don’t get me wrong. I like cold beer, but in a tasting scenario, the warmer atmosphere gives the full range of what was created in the beer. It’s the next step.

In 1987, Manhattan Brewing Company was under construction to reopen. I met an English brewer. The brewery had occupancy of the whole building. The landlord said they had to bring everything down and put it in a smaller space. We handled the mechanical and technical end the cooling and heating system. In the two years I was there, we added four stories, put in a glass elevator, and renovated the floors. I loved the idea of brewing. As compensation, the brewer gave good quality beers to the workers. It was the best bribe. All my workers are now microbrew drinkers. I was building restaurants as well and got the opportunity to construct (now-defunct) Westside Brewing Company at 76^th and Amsterdam. I designed it, installed the equipment, and we couldn’t make enough beer for consumption on premises. At the time, we had very good product in the developing stages like Checker Cab Blonde Ale and Sunset Red. We worked on small batches.

He came from 20 Tank Brewery in San Francisco. It was very popular, but when the city refurbished the waterfront, that small brewery couldn’t afford to be there any longer. He enjoys his stouts but became very upset when an article claimed he was just an experienced stout brewer. He thought that was just one more style of beer created that was finally getting recognition and was only part of his forte. The Hop Angel he makes is a tremendous IPA. We don’t stay to the guidelines or get caught up in new fads like Souble IPA’s – super-saturated hoppy beers. They’re great for a taste or two, but our beers are designed for consumption. We do make ‘big beers,’ but only do them once or twice yearly. We’re geared towards consumers who want to enjoy a few. It’s great to have a 10% alcohol brew on tap, but you have to be cautious how you sell it (due to quick inebriation). Our Imperial Mild (in actuality, a strong barleywine) will have you going sideways.

The real estate market is expensive and limits what could be done. You’d have to go into a developing area like Greenpoint or Williamsburg on the Brooklyn side. Even Bedford Stuyvesant or Bushwick. It’s less expensive to put up a tasting room and maintain brewing operations as a manufacturer. There’s tremendous room for opportunity in those depressed areas. They’d give real estate tax incentives to go into those areas. You wouldn’t need much space.

Sanitation is a must. Keep everything clean. On a large scale, like Chelsea Brewery, we have the ability to sanitize and purify everything we do. New York has good water for brewing. I put in a filtration system, but took it apart after a year. We never used it. The water is incredible here in New York. The Southeast usually has to filtrate (due to less pure water sources). People who have to treat water are envious of us. That’s one aspect we have naturally.

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK

Though most of the beers at the five Manhattan-based HEARTLAND brewpubs get brewed in a separate Brooklyn facility, each pub has its own definitive specificity and atmosphere. I have frequented these variegated local watering holes on many occasions, usually on the way to softball games in Central Park with High Times.

In June ’06, made trek to South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan to quaff a few seasonal brews at HEARTLAND (opened around 2003). Located in a brick corner building directly across from the seaport, this diminutive Heartland pub (the third of five now operating) featured a street side front deck and interior dining section to left of small centralized bar with mahogany mantle stocking liquor bottles.

Nifty oversized beer labels bedecked paneled walls while barbecue food dominated the menu. Tempting seasonal offerings included sweet nutty Grateful Red Lager, tangy apricot-tangerine-clementine-ripened wheat-dried Summertime Apricot Ale, and briskly lemon rind/ grapefruit peel-embittered piney-hopped earthen-fungi dry Czech lager Empire Premium Beer. Tremendous find: rich creamy Belgian Cherry Chocolate Stout, with its dry chocolate-y cappuccino abundance seeping overripe cherry, raspberry puree, black licorice, and tertiary wood-smoked walnut-hazelnut illusions. June ’09, tried candi-sugared orange-banana-bruised clove-spiced pepper-hopped Big Belgian Blonde with buddy John Ehrhart.

Revisited Heartland’s South Street Seaport site with wife, November ’09, prior to Jemina Pearl show at Bowery Ballroom. We shared tart raspberry-pomegranate-fronted ginger-sarsaparilla-licorice-backed Berry Champagne Ale and soapy honey-roasted pumpkin-pied clove-cinnamon-nutmeg-spiced Smiling Pumpkin Ale. For dessert, tried overripe banana-sweetened clove-spiced cherry-bruised Drunken Monkey Harvest Wheat with Banana Liqueur.

March ’07, visited HEARTLAND midtown location on 51^st Street to watch first round of NCAA Hoops Tourney. Sat at L-shaped wood bar near side entrance admiring beautiful oak bar, old Americana murals strewn across walls, and brass brew tank surrounded by wood clock, whiskey barrels, and twin lanterns. Tried two seasonal offerings distinguished by peculiar wood-lacquered mouthfeel. Alpha Male Ale possessed raw-honeyed citric frontage girding dry-hopped ginseng and Peruvian Maca root herbage. Frothy-headed St. Patrick’s Day homage, Kelly’s Irish Red Ale, dangled creamy caramel malts atop nutty dry-hopped spiced rum illusions.

April ’07, took wife to see hysterical Broadway musical comedy, The Drowsy Chaperone, but beforehand had lunch at Empire State Building’s HEARTLAND BREWERY & ROTISSERIE. The most enchanting Heartland brewpub yet, its two-tier setting offered busy ground floor bar and dining space as well as attractive wood-furnished basement-level lodge with central bar and wraparound seating down spiral staircase (corkscrewing white grain silo featuring lady liberty). Rear brew tanks may’ve held seasonal offerings such as doubly dry-hopped pine needle-y black peppered orange-grapefruit peeled Indie 500 Pale Ale. Raspberry Blonde with Chamborde Liqueur was absolutely delicious, placing toot-sweet cream-corned raspberry essence above sugared wafer depth and blueberry-cranberry tartness. Best bet: exquisite Full Moon Barleywine, with its buttery cognac-like bruised cherry-banana sweetness, papaya-mango-pineapple tang, and mint-y herbage opposing fierce bourbon alcohol burn and lusty orange peel bittering.

Finally perused HEARTLAND BREWERY’S original red-bricked tavern-styled Union Square hotspot, June ’09. Opened around 1993, 19^th century-styled murals, old wood furnishings, and ancient pony kegs enhance the long right side bar across tucked-in left side dining and small loft area fronting glass-enclosed brew tanks. Along the walls are many ancient brewery’s large-framed logos, including Fink’s Derby Cream Ale, Stanton Giant Pale Ale, Mule Head Ale, Old Diamond Kaier’s Ale, Gretz Porter, and Tally Ho Porter.

Recently, Heartland updated its recipes so I re-tried all six house brews before settling on Full Moon Barleywine, a banana liqueur-ish cherry-pureed pineapple-honeydew-cantaloupe-sweetened toffee-malted clove-spiced elixir. Though corn-flaked grain-parched perfume-hopped grapefruit-embittered astringency Cornhusker Lager and dry lemon-wedged citric-honeyed currant-addled white-breaded meanderer Harvest Wheat Beer were below expectations, caramelized rye-dried fig-date-sugarplum-plied Red Rooster Ale and orange-oiled hop-spiced grapefruit-soured peach-pear-apricot-ripened Indiana Pale Ale sufficed. Creamy espresso-fronted vanilla-sweetened oats-toasted black coffee-embittered Farmer Jon’s Oatmeal Stout retained a soothing softness that’ll win over dark beer fans.

Revisited Union Square site August ’10 to try salmon dish with seasonal French Toast, a crisp light-bodied lemon-wedged Saison with clover-honeyed salty-bottomed citric bittering and floral lavender-jasmine tinge.

In town for October ’09 autumnfest, visited Times Square-stationed HEARTLAND BREWERY & CHOPHOUSE, quaffing one pumpkin-spiced seasonal and one blended autumnal ale. Perhaps the most family-oriented of the popular Manhattan chain, its red brick-walled interior has an intimate feel and three private back sections, including the Tap Room (with full bar service), Stout Room and Harvest Room.

Sharp-hopped cinnamon-spiced pumpkin pie-crusted Smiling Pumpkin Ale retained creamy caramel-malted nutmeg-ginger-allspice accents and moderate citric rind bitterness. Outstanding full-bodied Smiling Pumpkin/Farmer Jon’s Oatmeal Stout blend, Stumpkin, embellished hop-charred chocolate-vanilla frontage with heavy licorice-anise illusions and bittersweet gourd-curried fig-prune density.

Two doors down from Heartland’s 43rd Street Times Square location lies affiliated HB BURGER, opened February ’09. Its black-white tile floor, cozy left-side booths, wood-furnished bar, and wrought-iron chandeliers were reminescent of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor.

www.heartlandbrewery.com

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK

Across from West Side Manhattan’s meat district at Chelsea Pier, high-ceilinged CHELSEA BREWING COMPANY, founded 1996 (but closed by 2017), opened to a half-circled winding wood bar (enclosing massive holding tanks) with spacious upstairs and dockside dining plus far right brass-tanked brewing vessels.

On tap, October ’04, at Hudson Bay marina brewery, tried zesty citric-hopped ashy-pined grapefruit rind-soured Henry Hudson IPA, soft corn-husked floral-accented Chelsea Standard Ale, and bland dry-spiced perfume-hopped Summer Solstice Wheat with High Times editor Steve Bloom. Best bet: espresso-deepened maple-cherry sweetened burnt wood-finished Chelsea Oatmeal Stout.

During April Fool’s Day, ’08, hung out with veteran brewer, Chris Sheehan. Quaffed slow sipping brandy-licked candi-sugared bruised orange-banana-cherry-sweetened red apple-ripened pear-melon-infused earthen grape-diffused 1,000 Gyle Imperial Mild (boasting 10.9% alcohol blear) and boozy swoon, Frosty’s Winter Wheat, with its faded cracked wheat spine inaugurating white-peppered orange rind, grapefruit peel, and black currant lucidity. Chelsea Cherry Wheat’s 8.1% alcohol-burn seeped into red cherry whir, whiskey-soaked swerve, and phenol hop bittering.

In May ’08, soaked up pine needle-y grapefruit-orange-peel embittered peach-apricot-restrained Hop Angel IPA and berry-seized woodruff-wafted enzyme-hopped floral-backed Blackberry Wheat. Better still was luscious chocolate-malted cocoa-dried cappuccino-milked licorice-stained oats-toasted burnt coffee-finished Chelsea Cream Stout.

November ’08, had Buffalo wings and jalapeno poppers with Chi-town buddy, Doug Van Dell, then consumed rich hop-charred Chelsea Gotham Stout, a tar-like molasses-thick full body with sticky anise overriding chewing tobacco, ashen wood, and honeyed maple illusions. Pre-Christmas ’08, drained a growler of Chelsea Rye’s Up, a rye wheat beer with dry phenol-hopped pumpernickel-cocoa-tobacco notes and wood-lacquered hazelnut-walnut singe.

After interviewing rock band, The Used, with High Times Cultivation Editor, Danny Danko, retreated to Chelsea Brewing, September ’09. Drained summery yellow-fruited, woody hop-prickled, tersely mineral-grained, lightly currant-embittered Chelsea Ultimate Summer Ale.

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Hosted by Chelsea Brewing Company during March 28-30, 2008, Manhattan’s 1^st Annual Cask Festival was an overwhelming success. By Sunday opening, more than half of the 38 quarter-barreled entries had been consumed in the previous two-day 24-hour flourish of activity.

Having imbibed mass cask conditioned ales at New Haven’s BruRm@ Bar in ‘07 (whose brewer, Jeff Browning, roamed ‘round sampling ales at Chelsea’s Saturday afternoon session), I had high expectations. Incipiently sampled BruRm’s ‘Charlie Mopps’ IPA, a slender-bodied English Bitter hybrid with resinous hop oils affecting vegetal leafy-topsoil sequence, wood-lacquered red-fruited tangents, and dinky herbaceous lurk.

Analogously, Saturday’s session continued with Cascade hop-spiced wood-singed Scotch-licked fig-date-dipped Kelso Hop Lager (from nearby Greenpoint). Similar moderate-bodied fare included Sixpoint Apollo Pale Wheat, a bark-twig-etched lemon-soured orange-bruised bitter with dry plantain reminder coiling white-peppered stint as well as Kelso Nut Brown Ale, an offbeat tea-like chocolate-seeded orange-burnt bitter with recessive peanut shell, walnut, and almond tinge.

Ate delicious Cobb Salad mid-Saturday alongside muddled clarify-buttered black tea-embittered pumpernickel-bread crumbed chocolate-covered date-sated Brooklyn Blast! Double IPA as well as dry fig-soured wood-stained whiskey-binged nut-skinned The Livery Hoppy Chick IPA – one of three Michigan offerings. Also emulating from the Wolverine State were funky orange-molded apricot-sweet cherry-tart Jolly Pumpkin E.S.Bam and sticky licorice-laced coffee-roasted black chocolate-y shoe-polished Dark Horse Reserve Special Black Bier.

Other worthy Midwest revelations included Indiana-based Three Floyd’s Brian Boru Irish Red Ale, with its perfume-hopped red-fruited tea-like bark-parched fig-dried tartness, and Illinois-based Two Brothers’ Hop Juice Double IPA, a piney-fronted bruised orange-centered apple-peach-sweetened whiskey-malted triumph. Wisconsin’s outrageously fine Sprecher Bourbon-Barrel Scotch Ale sported peat-smoked bourbon-burgundy-brandy frontage and vanilla-sweet cinnamon-cardamom-spiced cherry-plum-prune illusions.

During Sunday lunch, consumed a trio of host brewer Chelsea’s offerings. Firstly, Chelsea Nut Brown Ale had a tealeaf-y peanut-shelled walnut sear, spoiled orange-souring, and latent cocoa bean bittering. Better were Chelsea Black Hole XXX Stout, with its dark-spiced brown chocolate theme, piney hop-charred dry coffee bean bittering, and buttery anise flow, and the wholly superb Chelsea ‘The Tsar’s Revenge’ Imperial Stout, a robust hop-toasted coffee-grounded molasses-draped cherry-dried grain-smoked mahogany-moistened enlightenment.

Representing Pennsylvania, Weyerbacher Hop Infusion Amber Ale caressed tangy apple-peach-pineapple ripeness with bitter floral-hopped orange-grapefruit peeling and ashy cinder. Sly Fox Seamus Red Ale retained an unsweetened ice tea-like gird for mushroom-y fig-gourd-quince acridity. I regrettably missed out on Harrisburg-based Troegs offerings, Nugget Nectar and HopBack Amber (both quite excellent in bottled version).

Upstate New York upstart Butternuts made an impressive showing with both Snapperhead Dry-Hopped IPA, a piney oak-veneered nectar boasting bright apple-apricot-grapefruit tartness over grassy bottom, and oily soy-milked brown chocolate-y Moo Thunder Milk Stout. Also fairly new, Pleasantville’s Captain Lawrence Smoke From the Oak, a dazzling oak-aged smoked porter elevated bourbon boozing above vanilla-chocolate creaminess, vinous plum-port, earthen red grape, and charred hickory. Northernmost Empire State brewer, Buffalo’s Flying Bison, crafted Warbird IPA, a phenol spice-hopped red-fruited nutty-bottomed goodie.

Making for a superfine digestif, New England Wet Willy Scottish Wee Heavy doused brandied barleywine summit with brown-sugared vanilla-butterscotch illusions and bruised banana blip. Though Otter Creek Wolaver’s All-American Ale kicked before I could get my grubby paws on it, the admirable Vermont brewery’s Otter Creek Sea Otter Baltic Porter proved to be an exceptional dessert beer, bringing lactic milk chocolate-y richness to toffee-sweetened black cherry-soured center and oily coffee bottom.

Upon leaving, 5 PM, Sunday, Chelsea Cask Ale impresario Ron Carlson and Brew News publisher Bill Metzger (who’d admirably driven hundreds of miles obtaining many of these cask conditioned ales) seemed extremely pleased.

Since Chelsea Brewing’s first cask fest was so wildly popular, owner Pat Greene decided Manhattan’s 2^nd Cask Festival should run merely six months hence during September 19-21, 2008. Before sampling the latest firkin-styled brews, I stumbled across Chelsea Obergariges Festbier, a robust, yet easygoing, top-fermented Oktoberfest with dark-spiced lemon-squeezed grapefruit frontage, toasted French bread backdrop, and friendly date-fig reminder.

Got to Fest ‘round noon to beat heavy traffic at bar and met fellow brew buff, Frank Colella, an estate planner whose ‘rundangerously’ blogspot salutes ultra marathon running, the Grateful Dead, and craft beers. Quaffed Sixpoint Belgian Rye (with Chocolate Nibs) and Sixpoint Sweet Re-Action Pale Ale with Colella. The former had a serene honey-spiced chocolate malting, peat-y rye caress, and green tea bittering overlaying rock-candied sugar beets. The latter, a Belgian-American Pale Ale hybrid, countered soft lemony orange peel-currant bitterness with floral-herbal nuances.

Next up, Pizzeria Uno Gust ‘N Gale Porter bolstered burnt sugared brown chocolate with cocoa-soured iced coffee sedation, leaving vegetal dry fig reminder. In comparison, Pittsfield Gerry Dog Oatmeal Stout lacked expectant coffee-chocolate sustenance, going for a grain-roasted nutty mocha theme lightened by black cherry-soured dry-fruited balm.

Two major highlights of my first day sampling came next. Firstly, Milly’s Tavern Tennessee T.N.T. Barleywine brought brown sugared chocolate liqueur surge to syrupy Jack Daniels whiskey sweetness as emergent bourbon-sherry boozing rose above tertiary vanilla, toffee, raisin, and dried fig illusions. Secondly, Brooklyn Black Ops Stout merged bourbon-burgundy anodyne with wood-charred black cherry, oaken vanilla, and licorice notes.

Hooked up with Seattle Merchant du Vin rep (and ex-Uber Tavern agent) Rick Carpenter thereafter. We consumed only international offering, Harviestoun Ice Maiden Golden Ale (from Scotland) initially, but its grassy-hopped wood-tinged orange-grapefruit-currant flicker got soapy. Slightly better were grout-y citric-fronted herb-backed Cascade-hopped Southampton Fresh Hop ESB, resin-y black chocolate-centered wood-stained veggie-stewed Fuggle-hopped The Livery Herb Superb Black IPA, and floral-dusted orange-fruited nut-bottomed Harvest Moon Elmes’ Mild Manor.

Watched Giants-Bengals football game during Sunday tasting session. First up, Big Rock Double Trouble Sour Belgian may’ve gotten flat, as its cider-y funk, dried fig-date gunk, and unripe green grape tartness seemed diminished. Better were biscuit-y wood-lacquered red-orange-fruited peanut-shelled Chelsea Pro Am Long Island Altbier and earthen lemon-spiced grapefruit rind-embittered Chelsea Catskill Hop Harvest. Defiant Little Thumper Pale Ale offered light-bodied bread-crusted lemony hop spice and Butternut’s ESP (Extra Special Porkslap) had cologne-wafted chamomile tea flutter, sun-dried sour fig respite, and veggie trace. To cap off another fine Manhattan Cask Ale Fest, quaffed zesty hop-oiled fig-soaked apple-apricot-tangerine-fruited Blue Point ESB.

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January ’10, interviewed rapper MC Paul Barman, then drove one mile north to Chelsea for spectral Hoppy Holidaze, a boozy (10.25% alcohol) fruit-spiced seasonal with wheat-honeyed candied apple, red grape, cherry, peach, and pineapple sweetness countering piney grapefruit rind bittering.

Upon Chris Sheehan’s departure to Newark’s Port 44, new brewer Mark Szmaida stepped in.

During one-hour stopby the Tuesday after Labor Day ’13, discovered two more Chelsea brews while eating spinach dip and olive-oiled tomato-topped bruschetta bread. First up, dry-toned Pumpkin Pie Ale offered pumpkin pie-spiced gourd and butternut illusions as well as soft yellow fruiting above pastry-floured cinnamon dusting.

Fruitful Blueberry Wheat lacquered fresh sweet ‘n sour blueberry syrup above its coarsely-hopped white wheat spine, picking up ancillary raspberry-strawberry undertones to deepen its hard candied citric center.

www.chelseabrewingco.com

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK

This giant cultural mecca still trails smaller cities for brewpub happenings. Alongside Heartland (whose five regular offerings are reviewed in Beer Index), by 2004, the only other Big Apple brewpubs were Pier 59’s bustling Chelsea Brewing Company (which bottled lemony wheat straw Checker Cab Blonde Ale, Dry Irish Stout, and Sunset Red), upscale Times Square Brewery, and uptown West End Bar. The last two stopped brewing operations by ’07.

On 42^nd Street just West of Broadway, luxuriously modern designed TIMES SQUARE BREWERY attracted nearby theatre patrons, white-collar businessmen, and curious tourists alike until closing in 2007. First floor includes right side bar area, wooden chair-table back dining area, and kitchen serving pasta, pizza, burgers, crab cakes, and salmon. Floating stairs lead to mezzanine, brew tanks, and second floor dining area spectacularly overlooking Broadway.

In September ’05, sampled wheat-husked grass-hay-dried grapefruit-tinged Pilsner, lighter-bodied cereal-grained corn-sweetened lemon-tangy Blonde Ale, and phenol red-fruited mango-hinted Pale Ale as well as coffee-dried cocoa-chalked grape-date-draped Dunkel. Best bet: Sugary lemon-candied 9% alcohol Belgian Golden Ale, with its syrupy honey-raw medicinal pungency and bold Duvel- like charisma.

Visited Thanksgiving eve ’05, Columbia University-bound WEST END BREWERY (now defunct) offered outdoor front deck, right side bar with brick divider to left dining area, sequestered backroom section, and private downstairs lounge with brew tanks. Though brewing operations stopped in ’06, vintage Columbia sports photos line dining space where appetizers, steaks, burgers, plus Italian and Mexican cuisine are served to customers at wooden tables and booths. Brewer Neill Acer (now running Pearl River’s Defiant Brewery), renowned for food-drink pairing, volunteered corn-wheat-based West End Golden Lager, with its buttered popcorn waft and syrupy malt vault, plus terrific cinnamon-nutmeg-fronted orange rind-slithered West End Christmas Ale.

Treasured 2^nd Street dive, d.b.a., is a dingy hangout with yellowish exposed ductwork, busy right side bar, and rustic backyard beer garden.

Visited April ’06, with former music editor (and pal) Chris Uhl, quaffing cask-conditioned Sixpoint Bengali Tiger and Victory Moonglow Weizenbock. Dazzling liquor selection included a dozen bourbons, twenty single malt Scotches, twenty vodkas, ten gins, and fifteen rums.

Brought Anaheim band, the Willowz, to d.b.a. April ’07, quaffing Sly Fox Panacea Barleywine, Greenpoint’s Kelso Chocolate Lager, and Belgium’s Kira Witbier while my West Coast buds discovered luxurious Samuel Smith Taddy Porter and Imperial Stout.

Afterwards, stopped at nearby basement grocery, Dual Specialty Store, which had a selection of 500 beers, and bought Australia’s Bluetongue Traditional Pilsner.

During May ’07, quaffed Defiant Vunder Bock, an approachable hand-drawn moderation with subtle bruised cherry frontage, casual fig-date recess, and slight sugar plum nib. January ’09, tried hand-drawn cask-conditioned Stoudt’s Double IPA, a creamy red-fruited sweet-spiced alcohol-burnt cognac-soothed stunner with candied apricot, apple, cherry, and grape illusions.

Visited pint-size East Village beer joint, Against The Grain, January ’07, for exquisite food-ale pairing hosted by Brooklyn-brewed Sixpoint Craft Ales. Thirty discriminating patrons squeezed into brick-walled wood-tabled bar to sample Sixpoint’s piney grapefruit-embittered Sweet Action Cream Ale alongside beet salad with goat cheese/ pumpkin seeds; creamy cappuccino-like paragon Otis Oatmeal Stout alongside oysters with cucumber habanero mignonette; rye-plied Righteous Rye Ale alongside sausage-sauerkraut; and plum-sugared cherry-banana-bruised dessert Encore Dubbel alongside Les Freres cheese atop country bread. Awesome. All ale selections fully reviewed in Beers A-Z section.

Finally got to visit midtown Manhattan craft beer haven, The Ginger Man, September ’08. Featuring 66 tap and 160 bottled beers, this exquisite wood-furnished bar had light menu (sandwiches-salads-desserts) to go with libations such as Ommegang Rouge, Blue Point Sour Cherry Imperial Stout, and three seasonals, including Smuttynose Pumpkin, Cape Ann Fisherman’s Pumpkin, and Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin (all reviewed in Beer Index).

One week after stopover at Ginger Man, went to nearby East Side pub, David Copperfield’s House Of Beer, originally opened ‘round 1996. A beautiful mural featuring Copperfield at a small table with a frothy pint adorns the 74^th Street brick frontage of this small York Avenue space. Several red wood tables oppose left bar with several beer insignias, trays, and bottles lining walls. Alongside burger-sandwich menu were choice single malt Scotches and of course, select microbrews on tap or bottled, including Stone Arrogant Bastard, Ipswich Stout, and several Dogfish Head brews. Downed Four + Punk’n Ale with bowl of French onion soup.

Quickly, David Copperfield’s proved most essential in finding the best tapped beer in Manhattan, visited dozens of times for an endless beer-ale variety. Case in point, June 2010’s month long IPA fest, where I discovered excellent Nebraska Hop God, Brooklyn Blast!, Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA, Lagunitas New Dog Town Pale Ale, Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, and Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial IPA, plus middling Two Brothers Resistance Oak-aged IPA. All these beers are listed with reviews on Beer Index.